Duel - Version Five: Captured
by Shade Nightwalker
Summary: Once Heyes and Curry split up for different jobs, everything went wrong. They end up in a complicated situation. Is there still a way out for both of them? This is part of a series of stories with the same beginning, but varying story lines.


**Author's note:** This is part of a series of stories with the same beginning, but varying story lines.

The idea behind the series was to start with the same scene and explore the possibilities for different stories around it. So, they all share at least the duel between the partners, but the reasons why they got to this point and what happens afterwards differ.

If you have read the previous story you might already know the italic formatted the paragraphs and can go over them faster.

Thanks to Avoca for proofreading.

 **Duel - Version Five: Captured**

 _Well, there they stood - in the middle of the main street facing each other down. It would have been a big joke, if it wasn't so serious: Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry - prepared to kill or be killed._

 _His heart sank; no way out remained. He couldn't even think of one anymore, he had tried everything. One of them was going to die today. Who? The devil might know..._

 _Would he be able to pull the trigger, he asked himself, or might he not even hesitate 'cause his well-trained reflexes would take over?_

 _He knew he would die today - one way or the other..._

 _The evening sun already cast long shadows and gilded the sky, when he noticed a shade shifted slightly behind his opponent - just out of sight for him - and he saw the weapon in his hand._

 _No further thought was required - he did what he had to do, what he always did – protecting his partner. Pulling and aiming was a single smooth motion._

 _Three shots sounded._

-o-o-o-

Deputy Joshua Smith was confused. The moment he noticed Kid Curry's fast draw he knew everything was wrong. He swung his weapon, firing the bullet into a wooden post nearby. Nearly at the same time he felt another bullet penetrate his back.

The gun slipped out of his suddenly weak hands. Surprised he lowered his eyes, following the fall of the dropping weapon.

His knees failed him.

Someone yelled desperately a name. His name …

For the length on an eye's blink everything was clear to him before the world faded into darkness.

-o-o-o-

Kid Curry saw the gun slipping from his partner's hand and noticed the surprised look on his face.

" _HEYES!"_

He leaped forward and caught his friend before he hit the ground.

"The doctor! _FAST!_ " he ordered the surrounding spectators before he focused on the injured man, easing him down gently.

Instinctively the Kid pressed his hand against the wound in his friend's back, trying to keep the precious liquid inside the body.

"Heyes, hold on! Don't you dare to leave me this way!" he ordered scared to his bones.

He first noticed the doctor, when he cautiously eased his friend out of his arms.

Kid Curry's heart went numb - his fast draw hadn't been fast enough. In a daze he watched the attempts to keep his friend alive; something he had failed to do today.

"Bring him into my house," the doctor ordered. "I can't do anything out here for him."

-o-o-o-

Dr. Martin had seen many things through his long life, but never something like that.

Certainly, he knew about the duel - everyone did - but to see one duelist caring that much for the well-being of the other one wasn't common behavior.

Kid Curry simply refused to leave.

He was nearby while the doctor examined the wound and assisted him when he removed the bullet that stuck in his patient's shoulder close to his spine – no easy surgery.

Surprised Dr. Martin noticed that the deputy was shot in the back – it was impossible that the injury had been caused by the other duelist. Besides that, he knew enough about weapons to know, that the spent bullet was a different caliber from the ones used by Curry.

When the injured man finally was bandaged and lay unconscious in one of the doctor's beds, Kid Curry eased himself down on a chair nearby. He checked breathing and temperature of the patient regularly – he knew from his own experience much too well about the dangers of a wound becoming infected, leading to a high fever. So, he noticed the deterioration his partner's condition promptly and called for the doctor.

Kid Curry noticed Dr. Martin's concern while he watched him applying balms and herbal concoctions.

"I've done everything I can, son," the doctor finally told him patting the Kid's shoulder. "Thanks to you we've caught the infection in an early stage, but now we have to let nature take its course. He has to fight his own battle now."

"He will, I assure you. He's tougher than he looks," Kid Curry reassured not only Dr. Martin but himself, too.

Throughout the next day and the following night, he barely took his eye off his partner, who drifted in and out of consciousness as the fever ran its course. From time to time, the Kid talked to him, telling him of the last weeks when they had been separated.

"I guess he's over the hump," the doctor told him after he had checked on Heyes. "You should try to get some sleep yourself. It won't help him if you break down."

The Kid nodded and rose stiffly to get some rest for a few hours…and maybe something for breakfast.

-o-o-o-

It took some days until Heyes regained consciousness long enough to be aware of his surroundings. When he finally opened his eyes, he first noticed Kid Curry sitting near to him reading to him from a book he didn't recognize.

"Kid," he murmured.

"Hey, see who's finally awake," the Kid rose his head and smiled at him. "You remember me?"

Heyes nodded slightly.

Kid Curry's smile widened. "Welcome back, Heyes!"

"What happened?" the injured man asked in a low voice.

"I'm not sure. We had to split up for separate jobs. When you didn't arrive at our meeting point, I started searching for you, but you found me instead." The Kid smiled softly and paused.

"You couldn't remember me, Heyes," he proceeded seriously. "I don't know what happened to you, but you were caught in your last cover – Deputy Joshua Smith, escorting Slim Huffman to his trial. I know his gang caused a landslide to get him out and it was said none of the deputies survived." He paused again for a moment.

"But one day you found me in a saloon and tried to capture me! I knocked you out and escaped." The Kid shook his head and laughed. "I can tell you it's a hard thing to be hunted down by Hannibal Heyes. You knew each of my moves before _I_ knew them!"

Heyes listened thoughtfully and nodded. "I remember that … now. The avalanche buried me and I was badly hurt. Nothing left in my brain but your damn name. So, I did what I thought I had to do."

He beamed a weak smile. "I just remembered your fast draw. I have to say seeing you ready to draw isn't a view one could forget – it brought it all back. Maybe you should have aimed at me earlier."

Kid Curry laughed. His partner was obviously on the mend. "I actually was in the mood to draw on you now and then, you were like a bloodhound on my trail!"

"One thing's still missing, Kid. Where am I and what happened? I know you didn't shoot me."

"It was one of Slim's guys. When we were facing each other down, he tried to take the chance to ambush you. He'll never try that again."

The Kid paused but prevented Heyes's next question with a slight gesture.

"Oh no, stop talking now! You're too weak. They'll give us time enough."

The Kid was right. He had already talked too much and he was so damned tired. That was why Heyes let himself slip back to sleep without a further thought about the Kid's final reference.

-o-o-o-

It took some days to regain his strength. Heyes's shoulder was stiff and hurt like hell but got better day by day. Every morning Kid Curry was at his side when he woke up. He couldn't say when or where the Kid took some rest.

One day Heyes noticed the Kid entering his room wearing handcuffs.

"Kid! Damn, what happened?" he asked him appalled.

Kid casually smiled at him, trying to calm him again. "It happened days ago, Heyes. It was just a matter of time – if you were feeling better you would have known that. Words get around, you know ... Kid Curry … duel… wounded lawman …"

"Kid! You should have left days ago!" Heyes blurted out.

"Leaving you when you needed me?" The Kid said gently and shook his head.

"And what do you think you're doing now, Kid?" his friend objected.

"You're out of danger now, you just need time to heal properly," the Kid told him with a warm smile.

They glanced at each other, exchanging thoughts where words were not necessary.

Endless moments later the Kid sighed and said: "I have to leave you, Heyes. They'll soon come to get me now. They were generous because I saved a lawman, but now that you're on the mend … it's time for them to turn me in."

He paused before he continued. "I guess they will lock me up in Laramie. One of the deputies said something like that. He's still young and don't knows what better should kept secretly."

A short smile flashed over Heyes's face when the Kid referred to the youth of someone else, still looking barley older than nineteen himself. Instantly serious again he stared at his partner, who just revealed that he was heading for hell on earth.

"Heyes, stop looking at me like that! I'll wait for you. I know you'll come to bust me out," the Kid said carelessly.

"Kid, you don't know, what you're talking about," Heyes replied and paused a second before he added: "When they bring you to Laramie, try to get word to turnkey Craig Benson. He owes me a favor or two. He'll help you."

Kid shot him a questioning look.

"I once spent some time there, too Kid," his partner admitted.

"You never told me"

"I tried to forget."

Kid nodded. "We'll talk about that, when we have more time. More than likely I'll have to go soon."

"Maybe," Heyes responded, trying in vain to suppress the worried look in his eyes.

"You'll always be with me, in my thoughts, Heyes, you know that," the Kid reassured him softly. "Just get well again and come to get me."

"Kid you shouldn't go there," his friend tried to insist. "You need the sky above you and a horse underneath you. They might break you in there."

"Heyes, I'll make it, you made it, too" the Kid objected.

"I didn't. They broke me, too" he confessed in a low voice.

He paused and a series of changes showed up on his expressive face. The Kid knew that he had made a decision.

"Pass me my boots!" Heyes ordered him.

"Why?" the Kid asked his partner suspiciously.

"You have to get out of here!"

"Then they will take you 'cause you revealed yourself!"

"Doesn't matter…"

"Does matter to me!"

They stared at each other in silence for a moment, one as stubborn as the other.

"Then I'll leave with you."

"You're still injured!"

"Then we have to be careful … and shouldn't lose any more time. My boots!"

The Kid passed them to his friend and picked up his clothes.

Heyes slipped one of his slender hands inside the lining and fished out a small set of lock picks. In the blink of an eye Kid Curry's handcuffs were opened. The Kid rubbed his wrists and then helped Heyes get dressed.

"We'll have to leave your stuff behind, when you come with me. I wasn't able to pack it up without causing suspicion and we have no time to do it now."

Heyes nodded. "Nothing to cry about - nothing that can't be replaced."

"Besides your gun…"

The dark-haired man sighed. "At least I've got my hat."

Kid Curry opened the window, took a look around and climbed out. He gave Heyes a hand when he followed him stiffly and slowly.

-o-o-o-

Kid Curry insisted that they would share a horse and switch it from time to time. That way it would be easier for Heyes to stay in the saddle and hopefully it wouldn't strain the wound too much.

The Kid helped his friend into the saddle of his horse and mounted behind him, taking the second one by its reins.

"Lean back, Heyes," he ordered.

Offering no resistance, he leaned back against Kid Curry's chest, resting his head on his friend's shoulder.

Heyes already knew that his wound had reopened, but he kept it from the Kid as he knew they needed to put some miles between them and the town before they could find a suitable hideout and take care of it. Through his silence he escaped the expected constantly complaining of his partner but smiled while he imagined it. Even if he wasn't in the mood to listen him now, he knew it was just a sign of the Kid's concern and therefore a sign of his sympathy, too.

Regardless of the circumstances he felt warm and protected and a slight and content smile appeared on his face. He was at the one place that felt next to home to him.

Heyes closed his eyes, relaxed and released the pain …

-o-o-o-

Kid Curry had been pretty cooperative during the last week, so the deputies had granted him time to explain the situation to the wounded lawman for whom he had cared so selflessly.

The doctor pointed out that it was impossible that the injury had been caused by him and suspected that he had saved the deputies life twice instead, because he prevented a second shot from behind. He had been quite certain, that Deputy Smith would have died without the help of the notorious outlaw.

The deputies were impressed by Kid Curry's deed. He had always had the reputation of being generous, but to save an unknown lawman like themselves instead of escaping the law had been completely unexpected.

It was already noon before they noticed Kid Curry was gone and the said lawman, too.

The posse never found the slightest trace of them – maybe they didn't search as thoroughly as they should have done. No one would ever know. Undoubtedly Kid Curry wouldn't get caught this time – his good deed wouldn't be punished.

-o-o-o-

Later that day, two - today not so - wanted men built their camp in a hidden cave in the mountains nearby.

A small fire was already burning and Kid Curry took care of his friend's injury. As expected, the view of the reopened wound released an endless stream of scolding.

Heyes tried to change the topic. "We'll need new aliases. I guess, 'Joshua Smith' is worn out right now."

"Not my fault, I might add," Kid Curry grumbled. "What about O'Connor and Mulligan?"

"Much more convincing than Smith and Jones," Heyes laughed, "and maybe more secure in the end. You remember how often folks were suspicious about our aliases?"

"Damn, good!" the Kid agreed.

"Well, then let's make a new start with fresh new names, Mr. Mulligan!"


End file.
